Economics Mathematics Skills Pretest

Graph Skills Pretest For
Introductory Economics

Directions
This test contains 26 multiple choice questions. For each of the following questions, select the correct answer and record it on a scrap piece of paper. After you have finished the entire examination, check your answers against the answer key (click on the button at the bottom of this page to get to the answer key).

  1. Given the equation y = ax + b, the slope of the line is:
    1. y
    2. a
    3. b
    1. x
    2. a/b
  2. The slope of the line y = 7x - 6 is:
    1. 7
    2. -6
    3. 13
    1. 6/7
    2. x
  3. Point A is (4, 1). Point B is (2, 5). The slope of the line that connects these two points is:
    1. 2
    2. 1
    3. -2
    1. -1
    2. -1/2
Use the following graph for questions 4-6.
  1. The point (3,2) is:
    1. R
    2. S
    3. T
  1. V
  2. W
  1. The origin is:
    1. R
    2. S
    3. T
  1. V
  2. W
  1. The point on the y axis is:
    1. S
    2. T
    1. V
    2. W
  2. Which of the following is the graph of the equation y = 20 + x

  3. What is the equation of the line shown in the graph below?
    1. y = 10 + 5x
    2. y = 10 - 5x
    3. y = 10 - x
    4. y = 50 - x
    5. y = 10 + (1/5)x

  4. What is the slope of the line AB in the following graph?
    1. 3
    2. 2
    3. -1/2
    4. -2
    5. -3

  5. In the graph below, the slope of the line AB is:
    1. positive
    2. negative
    3. infinite
    4. zero
    5. can't be determined

  6. In the graph below, the slope of the line
    1. 0
    2. 1
    3. 2
    4. undefined
    5. 1000

Use this graph for questions 12-16
  1. At point A, what is the price?
    1. $1
    2. $300
    3. $3
  1. $600
  2. $5
  1. At point A, what is the quantity?
    1. 1
    2. 300
    3. 3
  1. 600
  2. 5
  1. The supply line intersects the y axis at a price equal to:
    1. $1
    2. $2
    3. $3
    1. $4
    2. $5
  2. At what quantity do the supply and demand lines intersect?
    1. $2
    2. $4
    3. 500
    1. $1
    2. 300
  3. At a price of $1, what is the quantity demanded?
    1. 300
    2. 400
    3. 500
    1. 600
    2. 700
Use this graph for questions 17-22
  1. At which point is the slope of the curve negative?
    1. P
    2. Q
    3. R
  1. S
  2. T
  1. At which point is the slope of the curve positive?
    1. R
    2. S
  1. T
  2. V
  1. At which point is the slope of the curve zero?
    1. P
    2. Q
    3. S
    1. T
    2. V
  2. Which point lies on a part of the curve that has a decreasingly positive slope?
    1. Q
    2. R
    3. S
    1. T
    2. V
  3. At what point is the straight line tangent to the curve?
    1. P
    2. S
    3. V
    1. W
    2. T
  4. Which point is a maximum point for the curve?
    1. P
    2. R
    3. S
    1. T
    2. V
Use this graph for questions 23-24
In the at the right above the line S shifts from its initial position of S0 to its final position at S1. Line S, at its initial position, intersects line D at point A. After the shift from S0 to S1 the point of intersection shifts to point B.
  1. As you shift from the intersection at point A to the intersection at point B, how does the quantity change?
    1. increases
    2. decreases
    3. remains the same

  1. As you shift from the intersection at point A to the intersection at point B, how does the price change?
    1. increases
    2. decreases
    3. remains the same
  1. In the graph at the right, the line A shifts from its initial position of A0 to its final position at A1. If initially the equation of line A is y = mx + b, what must have changed in this equation for this sort of shift to occur.

    1. y
    2. m
    3. x
  1. b
  2. none of these
  1. In the graph at the right, the line B shifts from its initial position of B0 to its final position at B1. If initially the equation of line B is y = mx + b, what must have changed in this equation for this sort of shift to occur.

    1. y
    2. m
    3. x
  1. b
  2. none of these
Answers